Promise of Glory: A Novel of Antietam [Hardcover]

C. X. Moreau (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 2000

On September 13th, 1862, a Union private found a piece of paper left behind by fleeing Confederate soldiers. On that paper was a message from Lee to his generals detailing his plan. When General McClellan received this intelligence, he knew his opportunity to prove his detractors wrong was at hand. The result was the Battle of Antietam and its more than 23,000 casualties.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

This first novel offers a clear if sometimes too flowery account of the bloodiest single day of the Civil WarAthe Battle of Antietam. Moreau's delineation of the sequence of events that thwarted Robert E. Lee's proposed 1862 invasion of Maryland and Pennsylvania and gave the Union its first significantAalbeit only nominalAvictory is precise and more than competently rendered. Military history, troop movements and the geography of the Sharpsburg area are presented with workmanlike accuracy. Moreau focuses his narrative on the usual collection of military principalsALee, Jackson and Longstreet for the South; McClellan, Hooker and Burnsides for the NorthAaugmenting their shifting points of view with the perspectives of some less prominent personalities. In general, Moreau holds steady to the standard course of established biographies and histories and offers few divergences from conventional thinking, though he sometimes displays a Southern bias. Lee is once more the reluctant warrior, torn between duty and family; McClellan is again the marginal incompetent, an overly cautious martinet who relies too closely on the sycophantic advice of the cowardly Fitz John Porter. In the end the overwhelming numbers of the federal army force Lee to withdraw to Maryland, thereby giving Lincoln a chance to declare a victory. Moreau's research is impeccable and smoothly incorporated, and his descriptions of battle scenes are vivid if overwritten in places. Yet the narrative comes off more as docudrama than pure fiction, and in spite of a clarity of details and chronology, adds little to extant accounts of this infamous historical event. (Sept.)
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Moreau displays an astute grasp of military history as he chronicles the battle that culminated in the "bloodiest day of the Civil War." General Robert E. Lee, attempting to invade Maryland and Pennsylvania, launched an ambitious offensive campaign in September 1862. Advancing rebel troops into northern territory, Lee was eventually caught between the garrison at Harper's Ferry and McClellan's Army of the Potomac. Dividing his own army under the leadership of Generals Stonewall Jackson and James Longstreet, he forced a brutal, indecisive showdown along Antietam Creek in Maryland. The author invests the cast of authentic historical characters with a wide range of strengths and failings, infusing this gripping narrative with a dramatic human element, resulting in a passionate retelling of a legendary battle. Margaret Flanagan
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 302 pages
• Publisher: Forge; 1st edition (September 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312872720
• ISBN-13: 978-0312872724
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.2 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,078,123 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Historically accurate novel!, May 11, 2001

By 

Don McCormick (Alexandria, VA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Promise of Glory: A Novel of Antietam (Hardcover)

Promise of Glory is a historically accurate novel of the battle of Antietam and the invasion of Maryland by Robert E. Lee and the Army of Northern Virginia in 1862. The novel begins with Lee's decision to move his army north, and is told from the perspective of various general officers of both northern and southern armies.

The author has also taken the time to put the battle of Antietam in its proper historical context-- with detailed accounts of the move northward by the Confederate army, as well as the taking of Harper's Ferry and the battle of South Mountain. Readers who know Civil War history will appreciate the attention to historical detail throughout the novel. They will also gain an appreciation for why Lee chose to stand at Sharpsburg, Maryland instead of taking the logical step of falling back across the Potomac River and avoiding the battle.

C.X. Moreau delivers a very readable, and believable, account of what it must have been like to march in either army during 1862. His portrayal of the various officers and men that appear in the novel ring true, and his descriptions of battle scenes are well done. Of particular interest is the author's potrayal of the various officers, and their relationships and friendships that existed before, during, and perhaps after the conflict. Moreau seems to have gone the distance in exploring the depths of their associations and putting himself in their place as the battles took shape and men began to fall on both sides. The novel is as much about the dynamic at work between these officers and their men, and their fellow officers on both sides of the field, as it is about the actual historical events. In the end Moreau leaves it up to the reader to determine just what glory is to be found at Antietam.

All in all a very enjoyable read and one thoroughly worth the price of admission.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Antietam brought to life!, December 17, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Promise of Glory: A Novel of Antietam (Hardcover)

Promise of Glory is a must read for those interested in the American Civil War. Mr. Moreau's research is thorough and presented in a crisp, enjoyable style. Historical facts are neatly woven around studious charaterizations of the men and events of September 1862.

Moreau's story of the Maryland campaign of 1862 is told from the perspective of several general officers from the both the Union and Confederate armies. Ordinary soldiers appear largely as a backdrop to the greater action, but enter the story often enough to give the reader a real feel for the events of the day. I found his charaterization of the key players of the day consistent with what is known about each of them, and his deference to historical events well researched and admirable.

The author's ability to write vivid and absorbing descriptions of the the characters and scenery surrounding the historical events is an added plus to a very fine historical novel. The detail with which the novel is written does a very effective job of blurring the line between fact and fiction and makes it a thoroughly enjoyable read for both the serious historian and casual reader. This book is will find a place among the absolute best historical fiction.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Civil War masterpiece, February 6, 2003

By 

Darren Shelton (Houston, Texas) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Promise of Glory: A Novel of Antietam (Hardcover)

Moreau's command of the language is amazing. Few authors can so ably portray battle in such vivid detail. His depth of description offers the reader a front row seat to the scene. As an avid reader of historical fiction, I highly recommend this to fans of that genre. With all due respects to other authors of similar novels, I think it fair to say that this work is equitable in all respects. It would be quite unreasonable to claim one work more accurate than another since neither author actually was present at the time of the event. Rather different perspectives of one historical moment offers a variety of viewpoints, thus creating a more accurate composite of what took place in that setting. Enjoy!